Exhibit Training Solutions for Associations

When it comes to training, there is no such thing as one size fits all. To be effective training must respond to your association's unique needs - your environment, budget and exhibit situation.

That's why we have developed a variety of training tools to suit your resources and training requirements

Customized Workshops

All of our workshops are fast-paced, interactive, motivational and fun; they give your members a unique opportunity to learn new skills and how to apply them. We customize each workshop to suit your specific industry, your associations' challenges and the shows you plan to attend.

Your investment in your members' booth staff can last from one hour to one of our intensive one-day programs or start from scratch and create your own customized workshop.

Here is a list of our workshops with brief descriptions. Choose one or combine workshops into a full day training program.

Exhibit Marketing – the Option of Choice (1 - 2 hours)

Trade shows, corporate events, consumer shows, private shows and special events all have one thing in common: they are face-to-face marketing. In an age where technology is doing everything it can to stifle human interaction, participating in a well chosen event brings you face to face with the people you most want to meet. Your booth staff will:

Learn why face-to-face marketing still makes sense
Unearth the 10 biggest mistakes marketers make
Cultivate a face-to face marketing plan that produces measurable results.

Visit a show for results (1 - 2 hours)

Shows are big, noisy and filled with possibilities. Walking a show can be overwhelming, and visitors often complain about falling victim to information overload. There is simply too much for visitors to absorb in the short time they have. However, one visit is all that most people usually have.

This workshop offers eight tips to help your members make the show easy and profitable to walk. This is also an excellent workshop for trade show attendees.
They will discover how to walk a show and get results by learning how to:

Set focused objectives
Carry out research
Work with the show program
Prepare questions
Gather Competitive Intelligence
Develop a walking plan
Avoid overload

Plan for Success (1 - 3 hours)

Planning a show consists of two distinct parts: strategies and tactics. Tactics are typically referred to as “show logistics” and include such things as move in, move out, electrical and show services. Strategy refers to techniques that lead your exhibit program to produce measurable results. Strategy is what this workshop is all about. It’s an opportunity to examine all the elements of pre-show planning and learn to:

Examine exhibit objectives
Create a winning booth
- The theme
- Booth graphics
Create a dynamic promotional plan
- Brochures and catalogues
- Invitations
- Premiums
Organize the show logistics
Establish a unique presence
Develop a follow-up program

Become a "Stage Four" Boother (1 - 3 hours)

Working a booth is different from doing business anywhere else. No matter how proficient your association booth staff may be in the field when it comes to working an exhibit, they need guidance in translating their existing skills into techniques that work at a show. Understanding the four stages of boothing will ensure that your members booth staff can make the right adjustments so they are prepared to work most effectively in the unique environment of trade shows. Booth staff will learn how to:

Develop rapport
Approach strangers
Gather information
Present information
Disengage
Handle brochures, draws, premiums and other exhibiting tools
Follow up and report

Exhibit Measurement and Evaluation (1 - 3 hours)

Exhibitors need methods of measuring the results of their exhibit program. Yet a recent study shows that 76% of these same exhibitors do not measure results. Many simply throw up their hands and say, “We don’t sell anything at a show,” or “We are only trying to create awareness,” or “We don’t know how to measure.” This last statement rings true. Your members’ booth staff will learn to :

Develop a step-by-step method for measuring and evaluating their exhibit results

Five Sure- Fire Ways to Make your Next Show a Success (1 - 3 hours)

Plan, promote, implement, follow up and evaluate are some of the keys to doubling your show results. Whether your members are looking to increase sales, obtain quality leads or gain exposure, let us help them uncover five key challenges and build a workshop focused on them.

By focusing on their top five challenges, their entire exhibit program gains the potential of surpassing their objectives. Together we select the five keys, depending on their particular challenges. Here are some examples of key issues that you may want to consider:

Why are we still exhibiting?
What do we get from our exhibit program?
Is our exhibit program worth the time, energy and resources?
What’s in it for our staff?
Which products should we bring?
What are the key criteria in choosing a show or event?
How many brochures should I bring?
What's the best way to distribute promotional products?
When is the best time to follow up?
Other?... (You give us your questions and we will create a workshop that focuses on the answers.)

Effective Booth Presentations (3 - 6 hours)

Making the right presentation in a booth involves dealing with the challenges of time and interruptions. A booth presentation should whet the visitor’s appetite and give your members’ booth staff a chance to set up an appointment to deliver the full story after the show ends. During this workshop booth staff will learn how to:

Say the most in the limited time available
Determine the visitors’ key issues
Develop a meaningful presentation
Integrate features and benefits
Uncover secrets of effective face-to-face presentations
Assimilate technology into the presentation
Leave the visitor wanting more

Making Contact, The Art of Building and Maintaining a Business Network (1 - 6 hours)

Business opportunities crop up in the strangest places. While new business results from direct contacts such as sales calls, presentations and cold calls, opportunities also exist at social gatherings, business lunches, seminars, trade shows, formal networking events, even the locker room of your health club. Networking is a difficult process for the experienced networker. Without guidance, novices can become overwhelmed. To do the job properly, you need a bag full of skills. Your members will learn how to:

Understand the objective
Analyse the event
Develop positive ways of engaging in conversation
Make the right impression
Gather information
Disengage
Following up

Gathering Competitive Intelligence at Trade Shows (3 - 6 hours)

Trade shows are one of the best places to collect Competitive Intelligence (CI).
Uncovering key information about your competition, the business environment, your market’s perception of your association and their staff’s performance is crucial for their success. This information allows them to make well-informed decisions about your marketing initiatives. Most important, it assures they minimize surprises and open the door to many new opportunities. One of the best places to collect competitive intelligence is at trade shows.

During this strategic session your members’ key decision-makers will learn a step-by-step approach to creating a CI strategy designed to give them the information they need. We will examine a CI initiative from four key decision points:

Overall scope
CI strategy
Implementation
Reporting
Understanding your CI cycle

Turn Show Leads into Opportunities (3 - 6 hours)

Research has proven that the majority of leads gathered at a show are mishandled. From the exhibitor’s point of view, this is the result of questionable lead quality, lack of follow-up resources and a failure to plan. Visitors on the other hand, are frustrated: one of their top-ten pet peeves is that exhibitors make promises and don’t follow up.

Whether your members participate in shows to write orders, gather leads for future follow-up, or simply to reinforce the brand, follow-up is crucial. During this strategy building workshop, your members will develop a follow-up initiative that realistically works with their strengths and weaknesses. They will learn how to :

Understand the corporate culture of follow-up
Find the resources
Create high-quality contacts
Orchestrate a follow-up strategy into your overall show plan
Assign responsibilities
Work with lead management
Manage the process
Measure success

For more information on how you can bring one of our workshops to your association or your members, please contact Barbara Siskind.

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